


Of Magic and Masks

by orphan_account



Category: Batman - All Media Types, Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Abusive Dursley Family, Bat Family, Dick and Harry are cousins
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-21
Updated: 2018-06-09
Packaged: 2019-05-20 00:47:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,360
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14884422
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Harry Potter is an abnormal six-year-old. He's been told that every day of his life. One day, new people come to his unhappy home, and he learns that he's not so strange after all. While he may have gained a new family, danger lurks around every corner. Harry Potter needs to be strong if he wants to survive.





	Of Magic and Masks

**Author's Note:**

> Yo, this is a reimagining of a fic I wrote a dog's age ago.

Harry's eyes popped open when he heard his aunt hammering on the cupboard door. He sat up slowly and looked ahead of him. He could see nothing in the darkness. "I'm awake, Aunt Petunia," Harry said standing up. He was almost tall enough that he would have to bend down to get out the door. He walked into the kitchen, rubbing his eyes and yawning. His aunt saw him and grabbed him by the wrist and pulled him roughly into the kitchen. 

"Watch the food, and you  _better not_ let it burn," she snarled. Harry nodded and grabbed the spatula out of the pan and turned the eggs over. Harry watched the bacon sizzling and he felt his stomach rumbling painfully. He hadn't had anything to eat since that Monday. He'd brought it on himself, if he was honest with himself, he'd taken food without asking first. His uncle had been very unhappy when he discovered that Harry had stolen food.

Harry could tell that the day wasn't any ordinary one. His aunt was racing around the kitchen, scrubbing and spraying, making sure she got every speck of dirt in her path. Harry wanted to ask what was happening, but he'd learned a long time ago not to ask questions of his aunt or uncle. It never had good results. So he turned back to the food. It was ready, so he pulled out three plates, and spooned the food onto them. He made sure to give Dudley and Uncle Vernon the most. Aunt Petunia didn't eat much anyways. Harry wouldn't be permitted to have anything.  

His aunt surprised him however when she gave him a dry piece of bread. She told him sharply that she'd drawn him a bath and that he better be finished in ten minutes because they had guests coming over. Harry nodded and ran up the stairs quickly. He locked himself in the bathroom and looked at a pair of clothes that were folded neatly on the counter. Harry stipped down quickly, making sure to mind his many bruises, and dipped a toe in the tub. It was freezing cold. Harry pulled his foot back with an angry hiss and shook the water off his foot. He didn't want to get into the cold water, but he knew that if he didn't, a little cold water would be the least of his worries. 

He took a deep breath before he plunged himself into the water. Sitting down, the water went up to his shoulders, and he shook like a leaf. He lifted his small hand out of the water and grabbed a bottle of shampoo. He put his head under the water. He finished his bath as quickly as he could. 

He jumped out of the water and grabbed the stopper. He wrapped himself in a fluffy towel, still shivering. He pulled on the new clothes that were left for him.

Harry wondered who these guests were. Why were they so important that they had to meet Harry? Or why his aunt and uncle felt the need to buy him new clothes. They weren't nice clothes, but they were still new, and they fit. Harry hated the green shirt and he hated the jean-shorts even more. The shirt sleeves were too long for his arms, so he had to roll them back past his wrists. He looked like an idiot.

He was down in the living room in under ten minutes just like his aunt had asked him. The rest of the family was already down there in their best clothes. Aunt Petunia was straightening Dudley's tie while cooing over how handsome he looked. When Petunia saw him enter her living room her lips pressed tightly together. "Listen, boy," she spat at him angrily. "There are some very important members of my family coming to visit this morning, and I won't have you making our family look bad, is that understood?" She asked him.

"Yes, Aunt Petunia," Harry said softly. He chewed lightly on the knuckle of his thumb.

"One word that makes us look bad, and you'll wish you'd never been born," Uncle Vernon said angrily to him. He smacked Harry's hand out his mouth and cuffed him around the head. "Knock that off, you aren't a little baby, are you?!"

"No, uncle Vernon."

Harry was saved from further interaction with his relatives by a quick knock on the door. Petunia squealed happily as she rushed towards the door. Vernon put a hand proudly on Dudley's shoulder and Harry looked down at the ground with his arms crossed over his chest. His hair was still a little damp so it laid straighter than normal. Harry could hear Aunt Petunia using her fakest voice while she guided whoever their guests were into the house.

The first one to enter the living room was a tall man with broad shoulders. He had his black hair slicked back and his teeth were shiny. He was wearing a suit that looked very expensive and he moved quickly to shake Vernon's hand. The second was a young boy who looked like he couldn't have been very much older than Harry, though he was leagues taller, and much healthier looking. Though he was younger it was very easy to tell that he was the first man's son. He was the spitting image of the older man even though his eyes were green and not blue.

The last man seemed more laid back. He had a dress shirt instead of a full suit. His hair was combed and neat but not styled. He had an excited smile on his face, as he bounced from foot to foot. He had two wrapped gifts in his hand. He seemed a little surprised when he saw Harry. 

Aunt Petunia came into the room with her eyes bright and greedy. "May I introduce my darling nephew, Richard Grayson." She said, grabbing onto his arm, and showing him off to the rest of the house. Uncle Vernon came forward and shook the young man's hand. 

"Very nice to meet you, sir, Vernon Dursley," The fat man said.

"Calle me, Dick, please," Richard grinned brightly and waved at Harry and Dudley. "Hey, nice to meet you all," he walked over to Harry, curiosity in his eyes. "Who might you be? I know I have a cousin Dudley, are you a friend of his?" 

Harry shook his head, looking at their carpet. He heard his aunt huff. "This is also your cousin, his name is Harry,  _introduce yourself,"_ Petunia said with a cold warning in her voice. 

Harry stiffened and looked up but still wouldn't take Dick's hand. "I'm Harry Potter, nice to meet you." He said quickly before turning his eyes back down to the carpet. He heard his uncle say something, but he couldn't make out what it was. Then they all moved into the kitchen where Petunia had finished her feast for all of them. Harry sat next to the new boy and across from Dick. He made sure to keep his head down and he didn't complain about getting the smallest amount of food at the table. 

It was uncomfortable for him when the strangers kept asking him questions, normally people just ignored him. Most times he wasn't even allowed to  _sit_ at the table. His punishment for being a freak. His aunt had made it very clear when Harry was young that she didn't want any of his freakiness rubbing off on her precious Dudley. So Harry kept his head down and out of the way of his family. 

"Harry, what's your favorite subject in school?" The young man, Dick, asked Harry with a sweet smile. He'd asked Dudley the same question and had received a typical Dudley answer of 'break time.' Harry was startled by the kind of voice the man was using with him.  

"I...I like history." Harry said softly, before looking back down at his food. 

"Oh, history, that's interesting," Dick smiled and him, but Harry could see that it was strained. Harry didn't  _want_ to make him angry but it was like Harry just couldn't help himself. Another side effect of his freakiness. 

"You'll have to forgive him, dear, he's very disturbed, meeting strangers upsets him." Aunt Petunia said with a frown. She looked almost genuine. "We would have had him stay in his room, but I know you would have wanted to meet your entire family." 

Dick looked over at her, sizing her up. He nodded and looked back at Harry who was scratching his hand. The young man tried to smile again, to ease the fright so clear on the young child's face. "It's alright. I'll be around more often, so I won't be a stranger anymore." 

"O...okay," Harry whispered. 

The two American adults shared a look over the table. Bruce looked over at the boy with squinted eyes. "Maybe after dinner, the boys should go out to the park and play." He said, looking to Damian, who frowned angrily. "I'm sure Damian would love a chance to get to know children around his own age."  

Damian looked over at his father in disgust but nodded slowly. "I would  _love to."_

* * *

It was awkward. That was the first thought Harry had while walking behind Dudley and the older boy who was refusing to talk to either of them. Harry wondered why the new boy didn't like him. Had he done something wrong already? Harry couldn't imagine what it had been. He hadn't said two words to the stranger since they met. So Harry followed closely behind with Uncle Vernon's words drilled into his mind.  _Not one word._ Or he'd spend the rest of his life locked in his cupboard. Harry didn't want that, so he wouldn't tell.

Dudley ditched the two of them when he saw some of his school friends over by the slide. Harry liked the swings, so he walked over, and sat on the one closest to the street. He had to jump on and maneuver his body so he could sit properly. Damian sat net to him without saying a word. Harry wondered if Damian was mean like Dudley. Would Damian beat him up? Maybe that would be his punishment for not keeping up the dinner conversation back at the house. 

"Have you ever wanted to make a wish?" Damian asked casting his green eyes over to Harry. 

Harry looked at him in confusion. "What kind of wish?" 

"Any kind," Damian shrugged. "There's someone where I come from who grants wishes."

"Who grants them?" 

Damian smirked at him. "Robin does." He kicked his feet back and forth. "Robin is the hero of Gotham city, so if you write him a letter and put it in your mailbox, he'll read it and grant your wish." 

"Really? Just like that?" Harry asked. "Did Robin every grant your wish?"

Damian stopped for a moment, a genuine smile on his lips. "Yes, he did. I wished for a family and he gave that to me."

Harry didn't think that sounded very good. "You  _wanted_ a family?" 

"Of course," Damian said, sounding surprised. "Wouldn't you want a group of people who loved you unconditionally." 

Harry shrugged. He wasn't sure what that meant. "Robin could give me people who love me?" 

Damian seemed to hesitate for a second. "I'm sure he could. His father's already adopted half of the city." When Harry gave him a confused looked, Damian waved his hand and told him not to worry about it. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and frowned when he saw the time. He got off the swing and held his hand out for Harry, who didn't take it. Harry didn't like being touched. It never led to anything good. He expected Damian to be angry or offended, but he wasn't. He simply moved his hand away and called Dudley over.

When they returned home Damian handed him a pen from his jacket and a piece of lined paper. "When your aunt and uncle go to sleep, tell Robin everything that your relatives do that makes you afraid or sad. Then tell him your wish, and he'll grant it."

He helped Harry fold the paper up and put it in his pocket, and taught him how to hide the pen by ripping his shirt. Harry thanked him with a hesitant smile. 

* * *

 _"I knew it!"_ Damian yelled later that night in the hotel after he unfolded the paper Harry had written. "I  _knew_ it, he showed all the signs." 

"Let me see that," Dick said, taking the letter away from Damian with heavy eyes. He hadn't wanted to believe anything was wrong. He was getting a chance to meet his mother's family, he wished they could have all just been nice people, but Dick had spent enough time on the streets to know when something like abuse was happening right under his nose. He'd taken one look at the hesitant, frightened, little boy and knew that he needed help. 

 _"Dear Mister Robin."_ The letter began

_"Damian told me that you could help me. I really hope it's true. I'm very scared living here. Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia hit me a lot but I know I deserve it so please don't think I'm complaining. I just wish that I didn't have to sleep in the cupboard under the stairs anymore. I wish Dudley wouldn't hit me anymore either. I'm sorry, I don't have a lot to say, but could you please help me be good so my aunt and uncle don't have to punish me anymore?"_

"I'll wring that fucker's neck!" Damian said with clenched fists. 

"Damian! Language," Burce said sternly. He took the letter from Dick with a very worried frown on his face. "We could report this to authorities...Dick if you were willing...maybe you could-"

"Adopt him? Yes! Can you make that happen?" Dick asked. 

"I'm Batman...I can do anything." Bruce said while he pulled out his phone, making a quick note. "We'll call the lawyers first thing in the morning, Gotham time, and hopefully he'll be in your custody by lunch."   


End file.
